Automatically-reversing ribbon-spool.



J. W. SGHPER. AUTOMATIGALLY RBVBRSING RIBBON sPooL.

APPLICATION FILED JIILYe, 1912. 1,049,154, I Patented Deo. 31,1912. v A 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

4 a wv@ who@ J. W. SCHPER.

AUTOMATIGALL-Y REVERSING RIBBON SPOOL. APPLIGATION FILED JULY 6,1912.

1,049,154, Patented 1m31, 1912.

2 SHEETS?SHBBT 2.

UNITE@ STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOHANN WILHELM SCHFER, OFHANOVER, GERMANY, .ASSIGNOR T0 THE FIRM OF GNTHER WAGNER, 0F HANOVER, GERMANY.

metaie. t

To all whom it 'may concern;

VBe' it known that I, JOHANN VILHELM Seminar, a. subject of the King of Prussia, and/a resident of Hanover, in the Kingdom 5- of Prussia, Germany, have invented an improvement in Automatically-Reversing Ribbon-Spools, of which the following is a specification.

Devices are known for automaticallyv rei vel-sing the direction of travel of the ink ribbon in typewriters wherein the tension otl the ribbon after the latter has been com- .fpletelyunwound from one spool is used to produce the reversal of the direction of l5 travel of the ribbon. These devices com prise, however, parts belongingrto the inachine itseif, namely levers, rods and the like, which in some cases are driven by mechanical ineens contained in the spools so that the i particular device is only of use on machines which contain these additional parts.

The present invention also relates to a device for automatically reversing the direction of the travel of the ink ribbon by using i the tension produced by the ribbon after it has been completely unwound from one spool. The novelty of the invention consists in a construction whereby the parts which reverse the direction of travel are not parts 0 of the machine, but are carried b v the spool itself, so that the spools together with the reversing devices, may be mounted directly in any typewriter or the like containingl spindles rotated .in opposite directions by the f' strokes of the keys in known manner.

In the preferred construction each ribbon spool contains an independent rotary core and each of them is provided with a coupling device such that when the ink ribbon 1s run 0E one spool the coupling device of the full spool is first disconnected and there upon thecoupling device of theempt-y spool ie connected. A The invention is illustrated by way of ex- 5`ainple in the accompanying drawings.

iiigere l shows. in end View the ribbon `spools provided `with couplings in the position in which one spool is nearly full and the einity spool is about to be coupled to its l core. liig. E2 a like view ot the two spools at the moment when the empty spool is ready to be coupled to its core and tie tension on the ink ribbon is about to imconple from its core the .toll spool. Fig'. 3 shows a i like view of the two spools running in the Specification of Letters Patent.

AUTOMATICALLY-REVERSIN Gr BIBBOliTeSPO-OII.

reverse direction from that shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a part sectionalplan showing the eft hand spool in section on'the line A-A of Fig. l, and the right hand spool in plan on the line B-B of Fig. l.

The spools l and la contain each a coupling device. This comprises a. core 3, 3 keyed to a spindle a', ma, and having teeth on its periphery; on this core the drum 2, 2*1 of the spool is mounted to rotate freely. There is a gap in the periphery of the drum 2, 2fthrough which extends a pawl 4, #la pivoted on pin 7, 7a in brackets carried by Patented Dec. 31,1912. Application filed July e, i912; serial No. 707,982.

the drum 2 or in'any other suitable manner; Y

teeth on the end of this pawl are adapted to engage in the teeth of the core 3, 3. To the other end of the pawl is pivoted a lever 5, 5a which is formed as a stirrup at its free end (F ig. 4) for attachment of the ink ribbon. The spring 8, Sa is adapted to engage in a notch 9, 9a in the pawl 4, 4a and tends to keep the pawl engaged with the core 3, 3a. The bearings of the pin 7, 7a are mounted on springs, for instance in brackets 6, 6a carried. by a forked portion of the periphery of the drum 2, 2a which is split axially to allow of the necessary elasticity of the said forked portion.

The automatic reversal of the direction of travel of the ink ribbon is as follows In the'position of the coupling devices of the two spools shown in Fig. l, the teeth of pawl 4a are out of engagement with thev teethon the core 3a, which is mounted on the spindle ma so as to turn with it. in the direction of the arrow. On the other hand the pawl 4 is in engagement with the teeth on core 3 so `that it is rotating with the core in the direction of the arrow and is turning by means of the ink ribbon F the freely movable right hand spool l in the direction opposite to that of the rotation of the core Bj The right hand spool la therefore is quite free to turn in Fig. l. -When spool l is turned farther by its core 3 through a certain angle the lever 5 is raised somewhat, as shown in Fig. l, by the tension of the ink ribbon and then turns the pawl el against' the act-ion of the spring 8 and at thc saine time extends the spring il so that the position of the parts is that shown in Fig. 2. From this moment further rotation of the spool l is prevented by the tension. oflthc ribbon F and, since the core 3 continues to be rotated in the direction of curs in the left hand spool, this disconnection being made difficult by the engagement thearrow at each stroke of a key, the conpling, of spool 1' is disconnected, owingto ythe-fact that the paWl 4- yis forced out of the right hand spool and unWound rom` the left hand spool.

` By suitable arrangement ofbridges over the parts of the coupling the ink ribbon which has to lie above these parts does not interfere with them. The hooked end of ,spring 8, 8al and the notch 9 9al in the paWls insure that under all conditions the coupling device is held ready in the position shown for the right hand spool in Fig. 2 before the disconnection of the coupling ocoif the hook of spring 8 in the notch 9.

I claim: l.' In a device of the character described,

.a pair of key-actuated oppositely rotatable spindles, ribbon spools detachably mounted thereon, couplings intermediate said spindles and spools, and means carried by the spools and actuated by the ribbon for pperating said couplings, whereby the direction of travel of the ribbon is automatically reversed.

2. ln a device ot' the character described,

a pair of key-actuated oppositely rotatable Genies er this patent may be obmnedifor are cents caen', cy adress-ing the Commissioner of Patents..

Was'dagtor., et,

inedite spindles, cores fast on said spindles, ribbon spools looselyencompassing `the cores, conplings lAintermediate said cores 'and spools, and ribbon-actuated means carried'bythe spools'for operating the couplings, whereby the coupling of the'illed spool is first opened and the coupling of the emptied spool is then closed.

3. ln a device of' the character described, a pair of key-actuated oppositely rotatable spindles, cores fast on said spindles, ribbon spools loosely encompassing thev cores, spring-influenced'pawls pivoted to the spools `and adapted to engage the cores, and ribbon-actuated means carried by the spools for operating the paWls.I i

4f. In a device of the character described, a pair of key-actuated op ositely rotatable spindles, cores fast on said) spools loosely encompassing the cores, spring-influenced pawls pivoted to the spools and adapted to engage the cores, and ribbon-actuated levers pivoted to the paWls and adapted to actuate the same.

5. In a device of the character described, a pair of key-actuated oppositely rotatable spindles, cores fast on said spindles, ribbon spools having drums that loosely enlcompass the cores and are provided With resilient sections, spring-iniiuenced pawls pivoted to said sections and adapted toengage the cores, and ribbon-actuated levers .I

pivoted to the the same.

Joni/inn WILHELM song/lena.

l Witnesses:

Mmmm CAssnL, GUs'rAv Busen.

paWls and adapted to actuate spindles, ribbon 

